


Who'd You Rather?

by lisavslisa



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Awkward Crush, Awkward Flirting, Awkwardness, Celebrity Crush, Coffee date, Crush, Cutesy, Ellen show, Embarrassment, F/M, Famous, Flirting, Fluff, who'd you rather?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-06-14 10:32:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15386865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lisavslisa/pseuds/lisavslisa
Summary: Going on the Ellen show was a dream come true for Tegan Griffin, a rookie to the celebrity status she recently accrued from her break-out movie role. When Ellen asks her to play the celebrity-crush game ‘Who’d You Rather?’, Tegan can’t help but spill her guts about a crush she’s had since she was just a kid - Harry Styles. Things get a bit embarrassing, especially when Ellen gives her the surprise of her life.





	1. Part One

**Author's Note:**

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Tegan Griffin was an up-and-coming young actress who at the age of twenty-one had already been nominated for a supporting actress Oscar and won a Golden Globe for the same category. The past year for her had certainly been a whirlwind and she was up in the clouds. Even more so when her manager booked her for an interview on _Ellen_.

Tegan was absolutely delighted and nearly in hysterics to be sitting in the green room at the _Ellen_ show. But even so, she kept on high alert, knowing Ellen could be lurking anywhere, ready to jump out at her or something. Tegan had seen the show enough through the years to know to be completely aware of her surroundings or suffer the wrath of a scare-prank of some sort by Ellen herself. She also knew that sometimes, even _if_ you were on high alert, she still managed to get you. But luckily enough for her, she was able to get herself onstage without being scared to death for Ellen and her audience’s amusement. And somehow, just being with Ellen on that stage put her at ease, like they were old friends talking with one another. She grew up watching Ellen as a kid, so it almost felt like they _were_ old friends, and when Ellen suggested they play a game, Tegan was unconditionally and unquestionably on board.

“So, we’re going to play a little game,” Ellen told her as the two of them sat opposite of each other in matching white chairs.

“Oh, yeah? I’m excited,” Tegan said, letting out a little laugh.

“It’s called ‘Who’d You Rather?’” Ellen went on to say.

“Oh, is this like the uh, FMK game?” Tegan asked curiously, not wanting to say out loud what FMK actually stood for – _fuck, marry, kill_.

“’FMK’? I’m not familiar,” Ellen said with a smirk, in a way that told her, she was quite familiar. Tegan let out an embarrassed laugh. _Oh, god_. Why’d she even bring it up?

“Tell me more about this FMK game. Is it an acronym? What does it stand for?” Ellen asked comically and Tegan couldn’t help but let out a giggle.

“It’s uh, it’s kind of brash, really. You get three choices. And like, you choose one to um, go to bed with and one to um, marry and the last one is who you’d kill out of the three of them,” she explained and the crowd let out an ‘ooh’ before they laughed.

“Wow. _Graphic_ ,” Ellen joked and the crowd laughed again.

“Yeah. Uh, it’s fun to play with the girlfriends though,” Tegan added in, biting at her lip.

“I bet,” Ellen said, pulling an almost horrified face, making the crowd laugh loudly.

“It’s… it’s, I don’t know. It’s all in fun,” Tegan said, smiling out into the audience.

“Fun with a side of murder?” Ellen quipped, causing Tegan to laugh out loud.

“Now, now, come on,” Tegan said, trying to settle the crowd. She seemed to be digging herself deeper and she could tell Ellen was loving it.

“Well, our game is a little more family-friendly than that,” Ellen laughed as the logo for ‘Who’d You Rather?’ popped up on the screen behind them.

“So, there is no killing what-so-ever in any _Ellen_ show games. We do not condone murder of any kind,” Ellen went on to say, making the crowd laugh again, leaving Tegan to blush even more.

“Alright, alright. Noted,” Tegan said through a laugh.

“It’s more to find you a date… or a soul mate. Whatever, you know,” Ellen told her with a shrug of her shoulders that was meant to be passive, but definitely came out as comical.

“Oh, wow. Really?” Tegan laughed, feeling her cheeks heat up.

“Cause you’re single, right?” Ellen asked curiously.

“Yes. I am, currently,” Tegan said and the crowd let out an ‘ooh’.

“Well, I don’t know if you know this, but we’re quite the match-makers here at the _Ellen_ show,” Ellen joked.

“Are you?” Tegan asked, quirking her eyebrow.

“Well, no. But this could be the time it happens,” Ellen said straight-faced and the crowd erupted in laughter.

“Alright, then. I’m in,” Tegan said, nodding her head, resigning to the fact that it was Ellen’s world and she was just living in it.

“Okay. I’ll put two pictures up on the screen and you have to choose between the two of them. Who would you rather go on a date with,” Ellen explained.

“Wonderful. Bring it on,” Tegan quipped, feeling confident. This wouldn’t be so hard.

A moment later, pictures of Zac Efron and Shawn Mendes appeared on the screen.

“So, we have Zac or Shawn,” Ellen told her.

“Oh, wow. Starting out hot,” Tegan laughed, biting at her lip.

“We’re determined to make it worth your while,” Ellen told her with a smile.

“Um, wow. They’re both so… _cute_. This is hard,” Tegan said, studying both of the pictures like she were actually taking a test and her answers mattered.

“Um, I’m going to go with Zac,” Tegan chimed in.

“Alright, okay. Zac it is. Next,” Ellen said and Tegan looked to see Shawn’s picture turned into a picture of Ryan Gosling.

“Ryan!” Tegan said quickly, not even having to think about.

“Well, alright then,” Ellen laughed and Zac’s picture turned into Channing Tatum.

“Oh, wow. Why are you doing this to me?” Tegan groaned playfully.

“We’re just making it fun,” Ellen snickered.

“I think, I’m going to stick with Ryan… only because I’ve had a crush on him since I was like five-years-old watching _Mickey Mouse Club_ reruns with my sisters,” Tegan explained.

“Oh, wow. So, a love that stretches decades then?” Ellen quipped.

“Yes, yes,” Tegan laughed.

A moment later, Channing’s picture flipped to Harry Styles, and Tegan’s whole body instantly heated up as a laugh erupted out of her.

“ _Oh, god_ ,” Tegan groaned through a laugh, knowing Ellen somehow _had_ to know of her massive crush on Harry Styles.

“So, Ryan or Harry?” Ellen said, her voice laced with amusement, and Tegan knew Harry was definitely put on the list on purpose.

“Oh my god,” Tegan groaned, holding her hand over her face as her cheeks begin to rapidly blush.

“’Oh my god’, what?” Ellen asked, feigning innocence and the crowd laughed loudly.

“You’re trying to break me, aren’t you?” Tegan laughed, pointing her finger at Ellen.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Ellen said, batting her eyelashes at her. Tegan laughed out loud again, biting at her lip as she shook her head.

“Ryan or Harry, Tegan?” Ellen asked impatiently.

“Uh, Harry,” Tegan said finally, feeling her whole face heat up again.

“But you and Ryan have had something since _Mickey Mouse Club_ ,” Ellen joked, tormenting her further.

“Oh my god,” Tegan laughed out loud.

“So, Harry, huh?” Ellen asked, quirking her eyebrow.

“Yes, Harry,” Tegan laughed, feeling so embarrassed. Her crush on Harry Styles was all-consuming.

“I’ve actually heard about how much you admire Harry,” Ellen chimed in.

“Oh, have you?” Tegan asked sarcastically, quirking an eyebrow at Ellen.

“I have. Do we have a clip?” Ellen asked her producer.

“Oh my god, no!” Tegan yelped, knowing she was certainly about to be truly embarrassed on national television.

“We do? Great,” Ellen said, smirking deviously as a clip of Tegan talking to a reporter on the recent _Academy Awards_ red carpet popped up on the screen.

“Oh, no,” Tegan groaned, watching as the clip started to play.

“Who are you most excited to see tonight?” The reporter asked in the video.

“Uh, probably Harry Styles,” Tegan said, biting her lip, doing her best to play it cool, but the dimples dug deep into her cheeks were a dead giveaway.

“Harry Styles? He’s in for a big night tonight, I think. _Dunkirk_ has been nominated for a whole slew of awards,” the reporter chimed in.

“Yes, yes. Have you seen it? It’s amazing,” Tegan gushed.

“I have seen it. Harry gave quite a performance,” the man commented.

“He’s absolutely stunning. So wonderful,” Tegan continued to gush.

“Have you met him before?” The reporter asked.

“No. _I wish_. I’ve honestly been a fan of his since he was on the _X-Factor_ with One Direction. Not gonna lie, his cardboard cut-out is still standing in my bedroom at my parent’s house,” Tegan explained, truly sounding like a ridiculous fangirl, not a serious actress who deserved to be at such an esteemed award show.

The video cut off a moment later, leaving Tegan feeling truly mortified. She hoped to god Harry Styles would never watch this episode of _Ellen_.

“ _Oh my god_ ,” Tegan breathed as the audience laughed and clapped happily.

“First question: Did you get to meet him at the _Academy Awards?”_ Ellen asked with a large smirk.

“No! I honestly didn’t even get to see him,” Tegan huffed playfully. She was still so bummed about it.

“Well, darn,” Ellen told her.

“I know. Sad day,” Tegan said, puffing out her bottom lip.

“My second question though: you have a cardboard cut-out of Harry in your bedroom at your parent’s house? _Still?”_ Ellen asked curiously, stirring the pot.

“I was fourteen! I was fourteen!” Tegan told the crowd, who seemed to be eating it up.

“And you’re what? Twenty-one now? And it’s still there?” Ellen asked with a cock of her eyebrow.

“He’s _still_ cute!” Tegan yelped, shrugging her shoulders, causing Ellen to laugh out loud.

“You were a big One Direction fan?” Ellen asked, smiling widely at her.

“Ohmygod, huge!” Tegan gushed, feeling her cheeks heat up even more.

“Were you lucky enough to see them in concert or did you just enjoy them from afar?” Ellen asked, her smirk ever-present on her face.

“I was lucky enough to see them, yes. A few times actually,” Tegan said proudly. She still missed One Direction with a heart-wrenching ache to this day.

“A few time, huh?” Ellen asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“Five… five times actually,” Tegan admitted embarrassingly. Although she was a proud fan and Harry Styles was her crush to end-all crushes, she still felt absolutely mortified talking about it on national television.

“Wow. So, should we even continue with the game or has Harry already won?” Ellen asked with a surprised look on her face.

“We can continue. We can continue,” Tegan said as the crowd cheered loudly.

Soon enough, Harry’s picture was back up with Louis Tomlinson next to him.

“Okay, that’s not fair. You already know Harry is my favorite,” Tegan scoffed playfully, giving Ellen a look.

“How do I know that?” Ellen asked, feigning innocence again.

“Okay, fine. Harry. But I love all of the guys. Seriously,” Tegan told her.

Then Louis’ picture went away, replacing it with Niall.

“Harry,” she said evenly, unable to keep the smile off her face.

Niall was then replaced with Liam.

“Harry. Let me guess, the next one will be Zayn…” Tegan said, quirking her eyebrow as a laugh rumbled out of her.

And sure enough, it was Zayn’s picture on the screen, causing the entire audience to roar with laughter.

“Harry, Harry, Harry. Okay?” Tegan laughed, never feeling so embarrassed in all her life.

“Well, we have a surprise for you then,” Ellen said, sticking her arm out toward the backstage where moments later, none other than Harry Styles walked out, surprising the _holy hell_ out of everyone – including a very star-struck Tegan.

“OH MY GOD!” Tegan erupted, standing on her feet quickly as she shielded her entire face with her hands, her heart beating a mile a minute.

“Since you didn’t get to meet Harry at the _Oscars_ , we decided to bring him here,” Ellen told Tegan, who couldn’t stop internally freaking out as Harry walked up to her, sliding his hand across her back, causing her to freak out even more because _HARRY STYLES WAS TOUCHING HER_.

“Oh my god,” Tegan said as Harry wrapped her up in his arms in a tight hug.

“Is this your dream come true?” Ellen asked, smiling from ear-to-ear.

“It’s _something_ ,” Tegan said, pulling back from his arms, unable to even look up at Harry, who seemed to be watching her contently. She couldn’t believe this was happening… and on national television. She almost couldn’t handle it.

“Hello, love,” Harry said, still looking at her and the crowd _aww’d_ enthusiastically.

“Hi,” she squeaked out.

“Is that all you’re going to say to him? I brought him all the way here from England and all you’re going to say is ‘hi’?” Ellen chided her and the crowd erupted with laughter.

“Oh my god,” Tegan laughed, and she could still feel Harry’s hand on the small of her back.

“It’s okay,” Harry replied as he smiled down at her. _Oh god, he was so tall._

“I don’t know what to say. I’ve imagined this day happening for the past seven years. It’s overwhelming,” Tegan said, finally looking up into his amazing green eyes. He was smiling so widely and contently at her, it almost made her knees weak.

“You’re beautiful,” she finally said, mindlessly reaching up to stroke his cheek gently and the crowd let out another noticeable ‘aww’ over it.

Tegan quickly took her hand back and bit at her lip, feeling truly mortified for having just touched his face so intimately. She felt like she was having an out-of-body experience.

“You’re beautiful too,” Harry retorted, making Tegan’s insides turn to mush. The crowd let out loud cheers and whistles as Ellen grinned ear-to-ear watching the pair of them.

“Oh my god,” Tegan breathed, hiding her face with her hand again.

“Well, there you have it folks. We’ll see you next time on _Love Connection_ ….” Ellen joked, looking into the camera and the crowd laughed loudly.

Tegan really couldn’t comprehend what was going on when they actually did go to commercial break. Harry Styles was standing in front of her – her forever crush. She was completely and utterly astonished. And that was when Tegan realized this was Ellen’s _gotcha!_ moment with her. It wasn’t some scare in the green-room bathroom or an intern popping out of the end-table between the chairs on stage wearing some ridiculous costume. _No, no_. It was the complete and utter breakdown of her dignity as she was forced to admit her undying love for her celebrity-crush… in his presence. _Oh, god._ Did that just happen?

“It’s a bit awkward, yeah?” Harry asked Tegan as they stood together in the green room when her part of the show concluded.

“Indescribably,” Tegan said as she pretty much resigned to the fact that her cheeks would not stop blushing.

“You were amazing in _Kaleidoscope_ ,” Harry told her, mentioning the movie she was in that won her a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination.

“You saw it?” She asked, looking up at him with all the wonder in the world. Never in a million years did she ever think Harry Styles would see a film she was in.

“Yeah. It was brilliant. You were robbed from that Oscar,” Harry told her, making her stomach clench with nerves.

“Meryl Streep definitely deserved it,” Tegan said, biting her lip as she looked down at her hands.

“She’s got a whole slew. You definitely should have won,” Harry told her and it made her heart flourish. She almost kissed him in that moment, but had enough sense not to. But _God_ , she wanted to.

“I’m so happy _Dunkirk_ won for best picture,” Tegan told him sincerely.

“I’d say thank you, but I was such a small insignificant part of it. It feels kind of awkward,” Harry told her.

“Insignificant? No way. I seriously saw it a handful of times because of you,” she said and immediately regretted admitting something like that.

“Yeah?” He asked, looking back at her hopefully.

“Of course,” she said, biting at her lip.

She watched as Harry’s eyes dropped down to her mouth and was pleasantly surprised when his tongue darted out, wetting his lips. It was so sensual, Tegan nearly went weak in the knees.

“So, what do we do when you’re a fan of mine, and I’m also a fan of yours?” Harry asked her, literally making every molecule in her body tingle with anticipation.

“ _What?”_ She choked out.

“You’re brilliant and beautiful, Tegan,” Harry told her, smiling that mega-watt smile at her. She was sure to pass out. _Oh, Jesus Lord. Have mercy._

“ _Ohmygod_ ,” she nearly groaned with excitement.

“And you’re bashful. It’s quite endearing, you know,” Harry told her with a simple bounce of his eyebrows.

“Seriously, _ohmygod_ ,” she breathed, feeling her whole body heat up. Was he hitting on her? Was Harry _freaking_ Styles hitting on _her?_

“I don’t even know what to say right now,” Tegan told him, seriously at a loss for words.

“Say you’ll have coffee with me,” he told her.

“Coffee?” She squeaked out.

“Yeah, we can go get a cup right on the lot,” Harry said, pointing back toward the door of the room they were in.

“Are you serious?” She asked, looking up at him like she was a deer-in-headlights.

“Quite,” he said with a nod.

“Okay,” she chirped.

“Shall we then?” He asked, smiling widely at her.

“Y-yeah,” she said, biting her lip as he took her hand in his as the two of them walked to the door.

She was dying, she could feel it. Her hand was slipped into his soft, warm palm and her head felt a bit fuzzy, like she might actually pass-out. And she couldn’t help but think about how perfect their hands felt wrapped up in one another’s. Their palms weren’t sweaty or too clammy. It felt silky and smooth, and she didn’t know if it was just her mind playing tricks on her, but she could feel his pulse thrumming through his fingers, like she could feel the beat of his heart. And if she could, she would tattoo the rhythm of his heartbeat right across hers, because that’s where it belonged.

Once outside, the two of them slipped onto the back of a golf cart as Harry told the driver, who seemed to be someone he knew, to take them to the Starbucks on the lot. Tegan wasn’t sure what to do or say as they rode to their destination, but Harry seemed to be well-versed in conversations with women because he easily started one up.

“Where are you from?” He asked, smiling at her.

“Um, Big Bear Lake, California,” Tegan told him with a smile.

“And that’s where your parents still live?” He asked with a sneaky smirk that made the embarrassment flood back to her.

“Did you… uh, you heard everything Ellen was saying to me, didn’t you?” Tegan said, putting her face in her hand again.

“I did,” Harry said matter-of-factly.

“I am… _ohmygod_. I am so embarrassed,” Tegan groaned, unable to even look at him.

“Don’t be,” he told her and out of the corner of her eye, she could see the smirk on his face.

“My mum still has a cardboard cut-out of me as well,” he said wryly, letting out a chuckle.

“Oh my god!” Tegan groaned, dropping her face into her hands again. He was mocking her and it was emotionally scarring.

“I’m just teasing. Although, she really does. But I’m just teasing you. I find it endearing,” Harry told her with a laugh.

“I don’t still live there. I want you to know that. I don’t like, go to bed at night as your teenage cardboard cut-out stares at me from the corner,” Tegan said, finally looking up at him again.

“Okay,” he said, letting out a laugh.

“Okay, wow,” she said, trying to regain her composure as she took a deep breath in and let it out hard.

“Are you alright?” He asked, smirking at her.

“I’m trying not to have a heart-attack, to be honest,” she said, finally turning to get a _good_ look at him.

His hair was short and fully-volumized and all she wanted to do was run her god damn fingers through it. He was wearing a dark blue suit with a crisp white shirt underneath it, unbuttoned dangerously low as per usual. His signature cross pendent was hanging between the two sparrows tattooed on his chest and his fingers were adorned with his many garish rings. He was _absolutely_ magnificent.

“Don’t worry. I’ll save you,” he said with a smile and Tegan couldn’t help but drop her mouth open as she stared back at him in complete awe.

A moment later, the golf cart was stopping at the back entrance to the Starbucks.

“We’re here,” Harry told her with a smile as he slipped off the cart, holding his hand out for her.

She quietly slipped hers back into his and felt the same thrumming she did before. _Oh, god_. What was happening?

The two of them quietly slipped into the back door of the Starbucks into their own private room, which felt weird to her somehow. She’d never knew Starbucks to have private rooms.

“Is this like, a VIP Starbucks room or something?” Tegan asked as Harry pulled out her chair for her.

“Well, yes, actually. We’re still on the _Warner Brothers_ lot, where there are a lot of celebrities who enjoy having coffee in peace, I suppose,” Harry explained to her as he sat down across from her at the small table.

“Wow, this is so… different,” Tegan said, smiling widely. She still wasn’t used to the perks of the biz.

 “You get used to it,” he told her, smiling at her sweetly and she couldn’t help but smile too.

“Will I ever get used to the fans?” She asked curiously.

“Probably not,” he told her and his deep voice was literally electrifying. She had goosebumps dancing across her skin.

A moment later, a barista came in to take their orders. Harry ordered a simple hot tea and even though Tegan felt sick to her stomach in his presence, she ordered a peach iced tea.

For the next forty-five minutes, the two of them talked and joked freely with one another, until Harry was told by his handlers that a car was waiting for him.

“Listen,” Harry told her, dropping his gaze to the table before looking back up at her with his big gorgeous green eyes.

“ _Hm_ ,” she hummed, feeling so much disappointment over the fact that he was about to leave her.

“I’d like to see you again,” he told her with a smile tugging up his lips.

“You would?” She nearly gasped, honestly not expecting those words to come out of his mouth.

“Of course,” he breathed confidently.

“Of course,” she repeated under her breath, unable to break her eyes from his intense stare.

“I’d actually like to take you on a date,” he said with a sideways smirk.

“ _Shut up_ ,” she gasped, unable to comprehend what the hell was actually happening.

Harry let out an amused laugh.

“I’m sorry, wow. If you haven’t noticed yet, there is no filter from my brain to my mouth,” Tegan said, pressing her palm against her forehead for a moment to try to help her regain some sort of brain function.

“’S okay,” he said with a smirk.

“I didn’t mean to tell you to shut up. Not like that anyway. It was just a… an exclamation, like ‘holy shit’,” she explained and then visibly cringed because _why the fuck_ was she still talking?

“I get it,” Harry said, letting out a laugh again.

“Oh, god,” she groaned under her breath. When would she stop making a fool out of herself?

“You’re funny,” he told her and _god_ , that deep voice did things to her.

“ _Mm_ ,” she said, biting her lips together to help her from rambling anymore.

“Would you like that – if I were to take you on a date?” Harry asked, quirking his eyebrow at her.

“Only if that’s something you want. Don’t just… don’t feel like you need to. I’m a big girl. I can handle it if you… if you don’t want to get… _involved_ ,” she told him, completely lying through her teeth. She would not be able to handle a rejection from Harry _freaking_ Styles. Her life would be over.

“I’m quite serious, Tegan,” he told her and just hearing her name slip out of his mouth was so magical, she almost stopped breathing.

“Wow, okay,” she said, trying not to smile as widely as the muscles in her mouth were trying to.

“Yeah?” He questioned, quirking his eyebrow.

“Yes, of course,” she told him, giving into her ear-to-ear smile, letting those dimples loose.

“Of course,” he breathed, smiling just as wide as she was.

“Can I give you my phone number?” Harry asked, pulling out his cell phone from a pocket on the inside of his blazer.

“Yes,” she squeaked, grabbing her cell phone from her small purse. She rambled off her ten digits and a moment later, she heard her text tone chime.

She looked down at the screen of her phone where an unknown number text her with _‘Hi.. –H. xo’_ and she knew it was him. Her smile erupted on her face again when she looked up at him. Harry Styles just text _her_. She was really going to have to tone down the star-struck bit if she were going to go on a date with the likes of him. She would need to fight off seven years of unrequited feelings and it wasn’t going to be easy.

“Can I text you with the details of our date?” He asked as he looked up to see his bodyguard trying to move him along.

“Of course,” she told him.

“They have another cart out there to take you back to the studio,” Harry told her as he stood up from his seat.

“Okay,” she said, realizing this was it. He was leaving her.

“It’s been so lovely getting to know you, Tegan,” Harry breathed as he stepped forward, pulling her into a hug.

“You too,” she breathed against his chest and a moment later she felt him press a light kiss to the top of her head, sending waves of excitement through her.

“We’ll be in touch, yeah?” Harry asked her as they pulled back from each other’s arms.

“Yeah,” Tegan breathed.

“I’ll see you soon,” he told her as he took another step back.

“Yeah,” she said again and was left standing alone in the room as Harry waved back at her before he was suddenly gone.


	2. Part Two

Tegan’s publicist and manager were absolutely floored after what happened between her and Harry Styles on-screen on the _Ellen_ show. They knew Harry’s celebrity status could take her places and insisted she go on a date with him and make it very, _very_ public. Tegan’s stomach turned. It wasn’t how she wanted to date him – or go on a date with him. She didn’t want the paparazzi around. She wanted to be able to focus on him without a mess of flashing lights and a story on _TMZ_ in the morning. She wanted every opportunity with Harry, but she didn’t want it in some crooked, deceitful way. She didn’t want to make it a spectacle and she said as much to her publicist and manager.

“I won’t do it,” she said, metaphorically and _literally_ putting her foot down as she stood on her feet in her publicist’s office.

“ _Tegan_ ,” her manager, Will said in a warning tone.

“No. I won’t do it,” she insisted, looking between the two of them.

“It will further your career, honey,” her publicist, Penny said as she stood up from her desk, steepling her fingers down atop it as they held up the weight of her upper body. She looked like she meant business, but Tegan wasn’t having it.

“I don’t care,” Tegan said, shaking her head.

“We’re working with a very small window here, Tegan. You’re flying high off the success of _Kaleidoscope_ right now. But what if your next part doesn’t do anything for you? What then, huh? You need some positive publicity to keep your name fresh in the mind of your fans and casting directors,” Penny explained as Tegan clenched her jaw from annoyance.

“I won a Golden Globe! I was nominated for an Academy Award! That means something. That’s enough right now,” Tegan argued.

“It’s not enough, sweetheart. We have to keep this momentum rolling,” Penny countered, sending her a sympathetic look.

“Well, I don’t care. I _don’t_ care,” Tegan said, throwing her hands up as she shook her head in disbelief.

She never imagined fame to be this… this _annoying_. Sure, she knew the paparazzi would be annoying, but she didn’t think her team would try to pressure her into doing something she didn’t want to do. Maybe she was naïve, maybe she had a lot to learn, but she definitely didn’t want to – _wouldn’t_ go about it this way.

“You need to sit down and think about this long and hard, Tegan. We’re only looking out for you in the long run. This will further your career,” Will told her.

“By piggyback off of someone else’s success? _No_. That’s not why I became an actress,” Tegan said, shaking her head.

“You would be surprised how many people piggyback off of other people’s success in Hollywood, Tegan. It’s what Hollywood was built on. All those celebrity relationships that start out hot and fizzle out after a few months – more than likely those were publicity stunts. That’s how it works around here,” Penny explained.

“I don’t want that,” Tegan snapped, refusing to give into anything they were trying to convince her of.

“You think Harry went on _Ellen_ just to surprise a fan? No, he went on there because of _publicity_. Because you are the next big thing, my dear,” Will told her and his words instantly cut her like a knife.

“No. Harry’s not like that,” Tegan said quietly and Penny let out a boisterous laugh.

“You’re acting as if you know him, Tegan. You sound delusional,” Will retorted.

“You seem to forget that I’ve followed this man’s life since I was fourteen-years-old. He was sixteen. I’m pretty sure I’ve figured out his character by now. _Harry isn’t like that_ ,” she said, standing by her original statement.

“You’ve seen what the media wants you to see,” Penny shot at her.

“ _No_. The media wants me to see him as some sort of womanizing lothario and he’s not. He _absolutely_ is not. Do not underestimate what kind of knowledge I’ve dug up about him on the internet. I know what kind of person he is. And – _ugh_. I don’t even know why I am defending him to you. This is ridiculous. If I go on a date with Harry Styles, it will be on my terms – _no_ paparazzi, _no_ stunts. And I swear to god, if either of you fuck this up for me, I will fire you myself,” she threatened, pointing her finger at the two of them before she swiftly stalked out of the office.

…

Tegan received two day’s worth of ‘good morning’ and ‘good night’ texts from Harry before he finally mentioned the date he asked her on. Her world was absolutely spinning thinking about being in his ethereal presence again. Her mind hadn’t shut off about what it would be like to go on a date with him. Where would he take her? What would they do? Would he kiss her at the end of the night? If he did, would she completely lose her mind? She knew she was already losing her mind over him, so it was a possibility.

**Harry:** _I was thinking we could have dinner together._

**Tegan:** _Okay. I would like that._

**Harry:** _Would tonight work for you? Either that or sometime next month._

**Harry:** _I apologize. I am scheduled to fly out to New York the day after tomorrow._

Tegan bit at her lip. Tonight? _Holy shit_. It was short notice, but she knew it was coming – she’d been waiting on bated breath for two days – so she’d already picked out a dress to wear. She could easily make tonight work.

**Tegan:** _Tonight sounds amazing._

**Harry:** _Tonight it is._

**Harry:** _I can send a car to get you. Around 8?_

**Tegan:** _Perfect._

Tegan quickly typed out her address for Harry to give to the driver and he immediately questioned whether or not she would be comfortable having dinner with him at his home. He then went on to tell her he wasn’t expecting anything but a meal and her company. She let out a squeal and quickly typed a reply that she would be okay with it. And then spent the next handful of minutes screaming wildly into her pillow and daydreaming about what his house might be like and how the night was going to go. She literally had to pinch herself to see if she was dreaming. What a fucking fantasy come true. She was absolutely floored.

She quickly pulled herself out of bed, knowing she needed to get a lot of stuff done if she intended to go on a date with Harry Styles that evening. She had less than twelve hours to prep and she knew she would put every single second to good use. She spent the morning and part of the afternoon getting waxed, getting a mani/pedi, getting a facial, and getting her hair highlighted. She almost felt like she was going to a movie premiere or something. That afternoon, she found herself at a high-end lingerie store, perusing through bra and panty sets, even though she knew she wasn’t the type of girl to ever give it up on the first date. She just liked the idea of wearing something sexy under her dress, knowing it was for him.

When she got home, she showered before blowing out her hair and doing her makeup. She stood in front of the bathroom mirror naked, analyzing herself. Her team forced her to get a spray tan before she went on _Ellen_ , so her skin almost looked flawless. She couldn’t see any of her scars from childhood – where she scrapped her knees falling off her bike or cut up her elbows climbing trees in the backyard. She looked airbrushed, which was probably the whole point of a spray tan – beside, you know, _being tan_. She pinched at the excess skin around her midriff and vowed to keep at her daily yoga and exercise routine. She knew she wasn’t _fat_ , but sometimes her brain didn’t see it that way. Tegan’s hands came up to cup her breasts, bouncing them a bit before she let out a sigh. Sometimes she wished she was maybe just a half cup-size bigger. But then thought about how she could easily go without wearing a bra, where most of her friends didn’t have that luxury because their breasts were just too big.

With another sigh, she stepped away from the mirror and walked into her bedroom where the new bra and panty set lay across her bed, next to the midnight black scoop-neck dress she chose for the night. She wanted to look good, but she also didn’t want to look like she was trying too hard.

She quickly slipped on the black lace panties and looked at her backside in the floor length mirror on the other side of her room. They fit like a glove, making her ass almost pop. She bit back a smile as she grabbed for the matching bra and slipped it on her arms, fastening it in the back. She pulled at her breasts, perking them up inside the cups of the bra before she again looked at herself in the mirror. She spent a while at the lingerie store admiring the two garments on her body. She knew if any man were to see her in it, they’d have a tough time keeping their hands to themselves. She blushed at the thought. She couldn’t imagine being in a position where Harry’s hands were on her – and then she thought about it again, realizing _yes she could_. She’d thought about it many times during her teenage years – even into adulthood. It was almost embarrassing how many times. But Harry was just so _amazing_. He was honestly everything she’d ever looked for in a man. But somehow no one ever lived up to it.

She sighed, thinking about how even now, Harry might not even live up to the man she knew him to be – or _thought_ him to be at least. She knew she put him high up on a pedestal. But she honestly never thought she’d ever meet him. Not after completely missing out at the _Academy Awards_ when they walked the same red carpet, talked to the same reporters and watched the same award show in the same room, but never crossed paths.

But here they were.

She was about to go on a freaking date with him and it was all because Ellen decided to play match-maker. She would be eternally grateful to her for the rest of her life. Tegan’s mind then took a spiraling turn, thinking about what Penny told her about how Harry more than likely went on _Ellen_ for the publicity. She couldn’t believe that could be something he would do. Not the boy who preached _Treat People With Kindness_. Not the boy who shook everyone’s hand in the room, whether it be a television exec or the person who gets people coffee. She saw it first-hand. He was just so lovely. He had such a big heart and she knew it, no matter who tried to defame his character.

When she finally slipped on the tight-fitting black dress and matching high heels, Tegan stepped in front of the floor length mirror again. She smoothed out the fabric across her abdomen and hoped she looked okay. She hoped she wasn’t over-dressed. How embarrassing would that be? She couldn’t imagine going over to his place, finding him in something casual, like jeans and t-shirt. Though she obviously wouldn’t complain. She loved how he looked in his signature black ultra-skinny jeans and whatever t-shirt he decided to throw on. But she was hoping this date would be so much more than that – that he’d take it as seriously as she was.

By the time she made it downstairs and grabbed her clutch purse, there was a knock at her front door. She found the driver Harry sent to retrieve her for their date and butterflies erupted in her stomach. It was really happening. The driver held the door of the sleek black town car open for her as she quietly slipped inside onto the plush leather seat.

The sun was low in the sky as they drove down Sunset Avenue, into a neighborhood in the Hollywood Hills with winding streets and multi-million dollar homes. Tegan felt a bit overwhelmed. It was almost surreal. She was on her way to _Harry Styles’_ house… _for a date_.

Tegan’s entire body flushed as the car pulled into a gated driveway. As it drove further up a winding path, she could see a very modern looking multi-story house _– could she really even call it a house?_ It was more than that. It could most definitely be considered a mansion – something out of movie or something. It was gorgeous and certainly overshadowed the modest little bungalow she lived in. But then again, she knew Harry worked hard for what he had. He’d been working non-stop since he was sixteen-years-old and deserved all the luxuries in life.

When the car parked in front of the house, Tegan watched through the window as Harry opened the front door, stepping onto the front stoop with a smile on his face. She couldn’t help but smile too, especially when he took the front steps down and walked toward the car, opening her door even before the driver could. He looked undeniably handsome in a well-tailored black suit and a crisp white dress shirt. She felt relief knowing he dressed up for the occasion too.

“Tegan,” Harry cooed, reaching his hand out to help her out of the car.

“Hello,” she said, trying to be as graceful as she could getting out of the vehicle, hoping like hell she wasn’t exposing too much flesh as she did.

“It’s very nice to see you again,” Harry told her as she stepped out onto the pavement.

“You… you too,” she stammered, feeling so incredibly nervous to be in his presence again. She felt like she was dreaming. But even in her dreams, she never felt this good.

Harry leaned in hugging her before he left a sweet kiss on her cheek.

“I’m so happy to be here,” she told him, looking up into his bright green eyes.

“I’m happy to have you,” he replied, smiling bashfully back at her.

“Come in. I’m in the process of making dinner,” he told her, waving his hand out to motion for her to take the stairs up.

Harry quickly shook the drivers hand before following Tegan up the stairs and into the foyer of his home.

“Wow. This place is amazing,” Tegan gushed, looking around the lavishly decorated space.

“Thank you. It obviously wasn’t me who decorated it. If it was, it’d probably just be a sofa and maybe a few chairs around the countertop in the kitchen,” he quipped.

“Well, whoever decorated it, knew what they were doing,” she said, smiling over at him.

“Her name is Marissa,” Harry said, smiling back.

“Oh. Does she work for you?” Tegan asked curiously.

“No. She just furnished the home,” Harry said with a smile. Tegan couldn’t help the wide smile that turned up her lips.

“Do you know everyone’s names who have worked for you or with you?” She asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“I try to,” Harry said with a nod.

“That’s what I like about you,” Tegan told him honestly.

“What?” He questioned.

“You care. No matter who it is, you care. You introduced yourself to each and every person you came in contact with at _Ellen_. And you did the same when we went to Starbucks. And I know you’ve done it in the past,” she explained. Harry smirked over at her.

“I like to make an impression,” he told her.

“No. You like to make everyone feel welcome and important,” she countered and Harry’s smirk turned into a bashful smile as he looked down at his feet and then back up at her.

“It’s just the man you are,” she added.

“I try,” Harry said quietly.

“You succeed,” she said, smiling brightly at him and he smiled back.

Harry quickly cleared his throat as he held out his hand to lead her into the kitchen.

“I’ve got to check on the food,” Harry told her as he immediately went for the oven and looked inside.

“It smells _amazing_ ,” she told him honestly. She could smell something akin to baking bread and the hint of spices. It made her mouth water.

“I hope it tastes as good,” he said, closing the oven door.

“What did you make?” She asked curiously.

“Uh, I wanted to kind of cook something that uh, will kind of show you where I come from,” he said with a sideways smile as he walked toward her by the table.

“Oh, yeah?” She asked, heightening her eyebrows in intrigue.

“Yes,” he said, smiling from ear-to-ear.

“And?” She questioned, waiting for him to enlighten her.

“I’ve made Beef Wellington with baked asparagus spears and Yorkshire pudding,” he told her and she couldn’t help but find anything but pleasure in the way he said ‘asparagus’ with his deep British accent. It made her want to squeal with delight.

“Sounds amazing. I’ve never actually had Beef Wellington… or Yorkshire pudding for that matter,” she said with a light laugh.

“I was hoping as much. It’s quite good,” Harry told her as he casually slipped off his blazer and carefully laid it across one of the dining room chairs before rolling up the sleeves on his shirt.

“Well, I am intrigued,” she said, smiling over at him.

“Would you like a glass of wine?” Harry offered, walking over to his wine fridge, pulling it open.

“I would love one,” she told him, following him over.

“I have a red to go with the meal,” he told her, pulling it out and she nodded her head.

“If you don’t like red wine, I have some Dom Pérignon or this Chardonnay I picked up in Napa Valley,” Harry offered, setting the bottle of red on the countertop as he pulled two more bottles out.

She didn’t know what the bottle of Chardonnay was, but she could be sure it was expensive because she _knew_ the bottle of Dom Pérignon was expensive.

“Red’s fine,” she said, smiling at him politely. He nodded and slipped the two others back in the fridge.

“This is a two-thousand-nine Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s a full-bodied dry red that pairs quite nicely with Beef Wellington. I’ve been told that two-thousand-nine was a very good year for this wine. The weather that year was exceptional in regards to the harvest,” he explained, the words rolling smoothly off his tongue as he peeled away the top layer of wrapping to get to the cork.

“You sound like a Sommelier,” she giggled lightly.

“Yeah, not quite. I actually did a lot of research into it though,” Harry said, smiling slyly at her as he leaned up, removing two wine glasses out of the cabinet.

“You did?” She asked, her eyes looking admiringly up into his. She wondered if he did it in preparation for tonight. Even if he didn’t, it was pretty amazing.

Harry materialized a corkscrew out of a drawer and immediately went to uncorking the wine. Everything he did seemed to be smooth, like he’d done it all so many times before. And he might have. He was probably well-versed in wine and culture and anything else a multi-millionaire could dream off. Even so, his attitude never showed it. He was humble and kind and so down-to-earth. If she didn’t know any better, she would be shocked at how he carried himself, how he behaved.

Harry handed her one of the two glasses and she watched as he smelt it.

“Now you honestly _look_ like a Sommelier,” she giggled, smelling her wine as well, realizing she didn’t really have the nose for it, because it just smelt fruity and slightly alcoholic to her. Harry gave her one of those sideways smirky-smiles as he watched her, highlighting his crater of a dimple and it took everything she had in her not to squeal with delight.

“So, uh, first we’ll have the Yorkshire pudding. Um, it’s usually eaten before the meal with a spot of gravy on it,” Harry told her.

“I’m learning so much,” she cooed.

Harry walked her over to the table and pulled out a chair for her before he went back over to get the Yorkshire pudding.

The table was set beautifully and it made her feel good that he went to all the trouble to make the night as close to perfect as he could. And it was, in her eyes. She had yet to feel anything but welcome, which she knew would not change throughout the evening.

“Would you like some gravy on yours? I mean, do you like gravy?” Harry inquired.

“I am open to all things, Mr. Styles,” she said, smiling over at him and he quirked a playful eyebrow at her. Her heart pounded hard in her chest when she realized how suggestive it sounded.

“You know what I mean,” she retorted, letting out a little laugh. Harry chuckled to himself as he drizzled the gravy on before bringing them over to the table.

“Wow, this is… this is Yorkshire pudding, huh?” Tegan asked, looking down at the puff pastry in front of her.

“It is,” Harry said with a smile.

“This definitely doesn’t look like the pudding I’m used to,” she quipped, smirking up at him.

“No. Not like a Snack Pack?” Harry asked, smirking playfully at her.

“No, definitely not,” she laughed.

“Yeah. This is quite European,” he explained.

“I’m eager to try it,” she told him as she picked up her fork, hoping it was the proper etiquette in eating Yorkshire pudding. When Harry did the same, she felt a bit better.

She quickly took a bite and nodded her head in acknowledgement.

“I’ve never had anything quite like that,” Tegan told him honestly.

“You hate it?” He asked.

“No. Absolutely not. I’m just saying, it’s different,” she explained, taking another bite.

Once their Yorkshire pudding was done and dinner was ready, Harry expertly plated the food and brought it to the table for the two of them. She watched as he moved fluidly, placing each plate at it’s proper setting and refilling both of their wine glasses before sitting down next to her at the table – one of them on each side of a corner so they were sitting close, but not close enough where they couldn’t look at each other while they talked.

“I hope you like it,” Harry told her as the two of them began to eat.

The first bite of the Beef Wellington burst flavorfully into her mouth and she let out a satisfied moan, which of course caused her cheeks to blush immediately.

“You like it?” He questioned, smiling over at her.

“Mm,” she hummed, chewing up the bite and swallowing before she even thought of replying.

“Oh my god, Harry. That is phenomenal,” she gushed.

“I took a few culinary classes,” he said, his cheeks pinking as she watched him.

“Did you?” She asked, intrigued.

“I did. In France,” he told her.

“Shut up! Are you kidding?” She asked excitedly.

“I did. It was a lot of fun,” Harry said with a wide smile.

“Man, your life… wow,” she said, shaking her head in awe.

“I’d actually like you to tell me more about you,” Harry told her as he looked up into her eyes.

When they spent time talking at Starbucks two day before, they mainly talked about how she’d been a fan for so long. How her cousin who lived in London, got her and her sisters into watching One Direction’s season of the _X-Factor_ through live streams over the internet while it was on and how her love for them snowballed from there. Harry talked a bit about what it was like living through all the mania and it was her dream come true to be having such a conversation with him.

“Oh, uh. What do you want to know?” She asked him, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

“Everything,” he said with a soft smile.

“Oh, wow. Do we have enough time?” She joked, looking down at her wrist like she was checking the time on an imaginary watch. Harry let out a laugh and it made her laugh too.

“No, but honestly. You said you grew up in Big Bear Lake, California – where my cardboard cut-out is still watching over your childhood bedroom…” Harry quipped, quirking an eyebrow at her.

“ _Oh, man_. I am never going to live that one down, am I?” She laughed, shaking her head.

“It’s cute,” he said, smiling widely at her.

“I think I was like fifteen when I got that. The mall had a pop-up One Direction store and I begged and begged my mom to buy it for me. Well, she didn’t. Not then anyway. But one day I came home and it was just there, in my bedroom and of course, I lost my mind,” Tegan explained, laughing and blushing as she told the story.

“Wow,” Harry acknowledged.

“Yeah. You watched over me until I was eighteen,” she said, smiling bashfully over at him.

“Well, that’s quite nice to know. I brought you peace, I hope,” he said with a sideways smirk.

“All kinds of peace,” she laughed out loud.

“Good to hear,” Harry chuckled.

“Yeah,” she said as her laughter died off and she took another bite of food.

“Do you have any siblings?” He asked as he pulled another bite into his mouth.

“Mm, yes,” she said, trying to finish her mouthful to answer him properly.

“I have two older sisters – Peyton and Harley. And an older brother named Colton,” she told him.

“Wow. You’re the youngest?” He asked, heightening his eyebrows.

“Yeah.”

“So am I. I have an older sister – Gemma. And an older step-brother – Mike,” he said with a smile and she nodded, because of course she knew that already.

“Are your parents still together?” He inquired.

“Yes. Twenty-eight years,” she told him.

“Wow. Amazing for them,” he said, looking impressed.

“Yeah. We’re very fortunate,” she said, taking a drink of her wine.

“Have you lived in Big Bear Lake all your life – well, except for now?” Harry asked.

“I have. Yes. But we travelled a lot as a family. We’d take vacations all around the west coast. Seattle, Portland, Phoenix, Vegas, the Grand Canyon…” She went on to explain.

“Have you been anywhere on the east coast?” He asked curiously.

“Uh, we took a family vacation to Disneyworld once,” she said as a blush crept up her face.

“Have you been able to leave the United States?” He asked.

“Uh, I went to Mexico for spring break during my senior year in high school,” she said, letting out a laugh.

“So not Europe?” He asked.

“I’ve always wanted to go. I’d love to go to Greece and Spain and _oh my god_ , Italy,” she gushed, thinking of all the places on her bucket list.

“I hope you get to go someday,” he told her, sounding honest and sincere.

“So do I,” she said, taking another sip of her wine before going back to her food.

“So what would you be doing if you hadn’t been in _Kaleidoscope?”_ Harry asked, keeping the conversation going.

“More than likely, I’d been in school full-time,” she told him.

“Are you in school now?” He asked curiously.

“I am – taking online classes,” she explained.

“Oh, what for?”

“Film studies,” she revealed.

“Oh, so you’ve really actually put a lot of thought into becoming an actor?” He asked, heightening his eyebrows.

“I have. I uh, I kind of always knew it was the right path for me. I just never knew it would take off so quickly. _Kaleidoscope_ was a dream. I still can’t believe I got the part. And then to win a Golden Globe and to be nominated for an Oscar. An _Oscar_ , _uhh_. It was absolutely amazing. A dream come true, honestly,” she gushed about her whirlwind life since her name was thrust into the spotlight. Sometimes she felt like she was living somebody else’s destiny, but she had to keep reminding herself that she worked hard to get where she was.

“You were absolutely amazing in that movie. Honestly,” Harry told her sincerely.

“Thank you,” she breathed, feeling the heat slide up her cheeks.

“You’re bashful,” he pointed out, causing her to let out a laugh.

“So are you, I’ve noticed,” she countered, quirking an eyebrow at him.

“At times,” he said, bouncing his eyebrows at her once.

“You’re humble and I like that about you,” she went on to say, doing her best to take the attention off herself.

“I try,” he said again with a nod.

“No. I think it come naturally to you, to be honest,” she challenged. Harry looked up at her and let out a small chuckle.

“My ego thanks you,” he joked, his smile wide on his face.

“ _Mm_. No. I think your ego has nothing to do with it. You’re a genuinely good person. I don’t think your ego sees the light of day very much,” she explained. Harry let out another laugh.

“Honestly, stop. You’re making me blush,” he laughed, making his voice sound a bit silly as he put his hand over his face. Tegan couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’m sorry. I’ve just… I’ve always wondered what I would say to you if we ever met and it’s kind of nice to tell you how I really think of you, ya know?” She told him honestly.

“It’s nice,” he said as his massive blush seemed to subside.

“You’re honestly the type of person I strive to be,” she explained.

“Wow,” he said, heightening his eyebrows.

“I’m serious. I may sound crazy, I may sound like a complete lunatic, but I’ve watched you over the years and I’ve seen the impact you’ve had on so many people. You might not even realize to what extent. But I’ve talked to girls who have contemplated suicide or hurting themselves in other ways and your influence has kept them from going through with it. I’ve talked to people who were so scared of coming out until you started preaching ‘love is love’ and ‘treat people with kindness’. You are a massive influencer and I hope you know that,” Tegan explained.

The smile on Harry’s face was everything she’d ever dreamed of. His entire aura lit up from the inside out as he looked at her. He was like a beam of pure sunshine and she could have sworn she saw a tear or two welling in his eyes.

“Thank you… thank you for telling me that,” he said quietly, taking a deep breath.

“Anytime,” she said, grabbing her glass to take the last sip of her wine.

“Would you like some more?” Harry asked, grabbing the bottle from off the table.

“I’d love some,” she told him, holding out her glass as he poured some in. He quickly filled his own as well before putting the bottle back down.

“Well…” Harry said as he blew out a breath.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to get so heavy with the conversation,” Tegan said, biting at her lip.

“No, no. I like it. I like that you are comfortable enough to speak so freely. It honestly refreshing,” Harry told her with a smile.

“Okay,” she said quietly.

“So we’ve covered your hometown, your parents, your siblings, travel… uh, your schooling, your career… what about… what about a love life?” He asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“Is that your sneaky way of asking if I have a boyfriend?” She asked, letting out a laugh.

“Maybe,” he said slyly and she let out another laugh.

“No. No, I don’t have a boyfriend. I haven’t had a boyfriend for about two years now,” she told him.

“Now I don’t believe that. Someone as sweet and funny as you?” Harry asked, looking at her unusually.

“It’s true. I swear,” she laughed.

“There must be men knocking down your door,” he pointed out.

“Not as many as you’d think,” she laughed.

“Hmm,” he said, taking a sip of his wine.

Staying single for the past two years was honestly a choice she made. She spent a long time filming _Kaleidoscope_ and going to college. She just didn’t have the time or energy to put into a relationship.

“What about you, Mr. Styles? Are you dating anyone?” She asked as her stomach tied into knots. She kind of figured the answer was no, because he was not the type who would ask another woman on a date when he had a girlfriend.

“I don’t. No,” he told her.

“Hmm,” she said with a nod.

“I don’t make it a habit of asking other women out when I am in a relationship,” he said, smirking at her playfully.

“I had to ask, you know. Since you asked,” she laughed, shaking her head.

“I know, I know,” he teased.

“You know, I’ve never actually been wined and dined,” she said, bring her wine glass up to her lips to take a sip.

“No? Is it okay? Am I doing a proper job?” Harry asked, looking almost bashful.

“It’s amazing. You’re doing everything right,” she said, biting at her lip to stifle the wide smile as she started to feel the effects of the alcohol.

“Glad to hear it,” he said, trying to conceal his smile, but his dimple gave him away.

“This wine is amazing, by the way,” she told him.

“Isn’t it?” He said, smiling widely as he took another sip.

“ _Mm_ ,” she breathed, nodding her head. He smiled over at her and she smiled back, feeling so much chemistry between the two of them.

“Thank you for this amazing meal,” she acknowledged.

“It was entirely my pleasure, Tegan,” he cooed and the sound of her name on his tongue again did _things_ to her.

When they were done, Harry cleared their plates as Tegan offered to help clean up the kitchen, but Harry refused. He just quickly put the leftover food away and scraped the excess off the plates into the garbage before putting all the dishes into the sink.

“Well, we’ve knocked off an entire bottle,” Harry said as he grabbed the empty wine bottle from the table and brought it to the recycling. Tegan snickered to herself because she could feel the alcohol dancing in her veins.

“Should we try something else?” Harry asked, pointing back to the wine fridge.

“ _Mm_ ,” Tegan hummed as she tipped back the final sip of the wine in her glass.

“Yes, please,” she said with an eager smile.

“Brilliant,” Harry said, pulling open the fridge.

“ _Brilliant_ ,” she murmured under her breath, loving on his British accent.

Harry pulled out the Dom Pérignon and Tegan gapped at him.

“What?” He asked as he peeled off the foil around the top.

“Do you know how expensive that is?” Tegan announced.

“This?” Harry asked, looking down at the label.

“Yes, that,” Tegan maintained.

“I suppose a bit, innit?” He asked with a smile just for her.

“Like hundreds of dollars, if not more,” Tegan told him.

“See, this one… this one is a ninety-eight Rosé…” Harry went on to explain.

“I was two when it was bottled,” Tegan interjected.

“I was four,” Harry added with a sideways smirk.

“So, yeah. This bottle costs about a thousand dollars depending on the retailer,” Harry told her.

“ _Holy fuck_ ,” she gasped, slapping her hand over her mouth because of the outburst. Harry let out a laugh, watching her as she slowly calmed down from her freak out.

“A thousand dollars, Harry? That’s like a third of my rent,” she admitted, looking up at him wide-eyed.

“It’s about point zero three percent of what I pay on this mortgage,” Harry added.

“ _Oh my god_ ,” Tegan sighed. Her mind was not even able to comprehend the amount of money he paid a month just for a house – and she knew he had at least three. Los Angeles, New York and of course London.

Harry uncorked the bottle and it let out steam as he opened it. It was fascinating. As he poured the champagne into new glasses, Tegan continued to contemplate the complexities of paying for a house like his.

“Wait… you pay over _thirty-thousand dollars_ a month for this house?” She gasped when she finally did the math. She knew it was the alcohol having an effect on her, causing her to say things without thinking. It spewed out like verbal diarrhea and she quickly bit at her lip. Harry let out a laugh, looking over at her.

“I’m sorry. It’s none of my business,” she said, gulping down a sip of the champagne, realizing she probably just drank ten dollars-worth of it without even tasting it properly.

“’s alright,” he said, smiling contently at her. His cheeks were flush and she knew it was the wine effecting him too.

“Would you like to sit with me on the couch so we can continue our conversation?” Harry asked her.

“I’d love to,” she said with a nod, turning on her toes to walk into the living room.

“This house is amazing, by the way,” she offered, still a bit embarrassed over her outburst about how much he pays for it.

“Would you like a tour?” He asked, setting the bottle of wine and his glass on the table in front of the couch.

“Very much,” she said, setting her glass down next to his.

“But, uh, would you mind if I take my shoes off first?” She asked quickly before he got started.

“By all means,” he said, looking down at the black heels on her feet.

“Although the do make your legs look amazing,” he said, smiling over at her. Her stomach knotted and she felt something akin to an electrical current going up her spine from his words. _Holy shit_.

“Unfortunately the do not make my feet _feel_ amazing,” she said, snickering to herself as she pulled them off and carefully set them next to the couch.

“Shall we?” Harry asked and she nodded her head at him, trying not to think too hard about getting the opportunity to see his bedroom. She didn’t quite know how she would handle herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **So, the next two chapters are my faaaavorite!! They're full of a lot of laughter and flirting and Tegan saying "amazing" and "Ohmygod, Harry" a lot. I just love these two and I can't wait to write more. This story started out as a one-shot and morphed into so much more! Thanks for reading!**


	3. Part Three

Tegan was absolutely floored to be getting a personal tour of Harry Styles' home, by Harry Styles himself. It was like an in-depth look into his day-to-day life – an in-depth look at where he relaxed, where he was most comfortable, the space where he could be _himself_ out of the spotlight. It was a privilege and an honor and she knew she wouldn’t get over it any time soon.

 “Okay, well, this is obviously the main living space – the kitchen, the dining room, the living room,” Harry said, beginning the tour as he waved his hand at each space.

“Yes,” she said with a nod.

“If you just… if you come over here with me, we’ll go up,” he said as the two of them walked over and ascended the stairs together.

“Up here there are two guest bedrooms and their adjoining bathrooms,” Harry said, flipping on the lights to one of the rooms as Tegan peered inside.

“ _Mm_ ,” she hummed, only thinking of how amazing the house was, how beautifully decorate every inch of it seemed to be.

“There’s a bathroom right through there as well,” Harry pointed to the opened door in the room. Tegan nodded as Harry turned out the light and they walked across the hall to the next.

“The other one,” Harry said, flipping on the light.

“ _Ooh_. I like this one. The windows. Wow. You can see the whole neighborhood from up here,” Tegan cooed, walking toward the large windows that looked over the driveway.

“Not the best view,” Harry replied with a light chuckle.

“But it’s a view,” she said, smiling over at him.

“That it is,” he chuckled as the two of them walked out of the room.

“If you come with me up here, you’ll find the office and the master bedroom and bath,” Harry told her as they took another set of stairs up. He sounded like a tour guide or a realtor or something. It made her snicker.

He quickly showed her the office, which was a bit bare except for a desk and a chair in the corner and a few pieces of art on the wall. She quietly wondered if all his awards and plaques he got over the years while being in One Direction were in his office in his London home.

When they walked into the master bedroom, Tegan’s eyes lit up. One of the walls was almost completely a floor to ceiling window, looking over the entire city.

“Wow. Now that’s _wow_ ,” Tegan said, walking over to peer outside over the horizon. The sun was nearly set and the sky was a dark pink hue. It was absolutely breath-taking.

“A better view,” Harry said quietly.

“A _phenomenal_ view,” Tegan cooed, mesmerized by all the lights below.

“You know, I like how you appreciate everything. Whether it be something big or small,” Harry told her as he walked up next to her.

“ _Hm_ ,” she hummed, letting out a light laugh as she looked over at him.

“You gushed over the view of the driveway as much as you gushed over the view of Los Angeles,” Harry pointed out. Tegan let out another laugh.

“It’s nice,” Harry told her, causing her to blush.

To be completely honest, she’d been in awe all night. She probably would have gushed over anything he showed her.

“So, uh, this is your room?” She asked, changing the subject as she turned to finally look at the space.

“It is,” Harry told her.

She could feel her cheeks blushing at the thought of being in his room, of _actually_ being in his room. The frame of his bed was tufted plush blue velvet with complimentary bedding and it looked _oh so_ inviting.

“ _Mm_ ,” she hummed, trying to break away from the dirty thoughts that flooded her mind just by being in his bedroom.

“What?” Harry asked curiously.

“Nothing, nothing,” she said, waving it off as she walked toward the master bath, wondering if she’d ever be able to afford something so luxurious.

“You have a great house, Harry,” she said as she turned back and found him standing in the doorway watching her.

“There’s more,” he told her.

“More?” She choked out.

“Mm-hmm,” he hummed, sending her a sideways smirk.

“Really?” She asked, letting out a laugh and looking impressed all at once. She didn’t know how the house could get any better.

“Would you like to see it?” He asked with a smile.

“ _Of course_ ,” She said enthusiastically and he let out a laugh before leading her out of the bathroom and then out of his room altogether. _Goodbye bedroom that dreams are made of._

The two of them took the two flights of stairs down to the main level before Harry led her to another flight of stairs, leading down.

“So many stairs,” she giggled.

“Yeah. It’s quite a bit,” he said, smiling back at her.

“Down here we have the home gym…” Harry said, guiding her through a doorway as he flipped on the light.

There was an exercise bike, a treadmill and a weight bench, plus a space to do any other type of exercising he wanted to do. She quietly wondered if he did yoga, like she did.

“ _Mm_ ,” she hummed, picturing him working out in there. Harry smiled over at her again before leading her back out and onto the next room.

“And uh, over here is the cinema,” he told her.

“A _cinema?”_ She asked, looking at him wide-eyed as he flipped on the light to a room that had two couches which sat on their own separate levels in the room, just across from a massive TV. The carpet was dark grey plush velvet and absolutely Heaven underneath her bare feet.

“ _Wow_ ,” she said in awe as she sat down on the lower plush leather couch. Harry watched her from the doorway with a smile on his face.

“This is amazing,” she said, rubbing her hands against the soft cushions.

“Maybe we can watch a film in here sometime,” Harry suggested, causing Tegan’s stomach to turn with excitement.

“Yeah,” she squeaked out. He was implying he wanted to see her again and it was almost too much for her heart to take.

“Have you heard of a little film called _Kaleidoscope?_ I hear it’s good,” he quipped, smirking wildly at her.

“ _Mm_. I was thinking more along the lines of an epic war movie. Something like… _hmm_ … _Dunkirk_ ,” she countered and Harry chuckled lightly.

“Yeah,” he said as she stood up from the couch and walked over to him.

“Is there more?” She asked curiously.

“A little bit more,” he said as she followed him to another room, which was actually like an indoor/outdoor space. It was like a little cabana with its own attached bathroom.

“This is amazing,” she cooed, taking in the whole space. There were a couple of couches and chairs and a TV on the wall. And at one corner of the room, it opened up to a back patio.

“What’s out here?” Tegan asked as she walked through the open space, finding a pool across the backyard.

“Oh, wow,” she said, walking toward it.

“ _Of course_ you have a pool. Why wouldn’t you? This house is _amazing_ ,” she gushed, smiling back at him as he chuckled to himself.

“Oh my god. Is that a hot tub?” Tegan questioned, pointing to the elevated circular part at the backside of the pool.

“It is,” he said with a nod of his head.

“Amazing,” she said as she walked toward it, dipping her hand in the steamy water.

“ _Harry_ ,” she cooed, looking back at him. His house was like the type of house you fantasized about, like the houses they used to show on _MTV Cribs_ back in the day.

“Do you want to go in?” He asked with a laugh.

“I wish!” She gushed, sitting down on the ledge of the hot tub.

“Why can’t you?” He asked, quirking an eyebrow at her.

“I don’t know. Cause it would be weird,” she told him, making an _eek_ face.

“Why would it be weird?” He asked, furrowing his brows in question.

“I don’t know,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders, completely full-face blushing.

“We could both get it. It wouldn’t be weird,” he assured her. And her stomach did somersaults. How on earth would she be able to handle herself in a hot tub with him?

“I don’t have a suit,” she countered.

“We don’t need bathing suits,” he told her, causing her to let out a choked noise from the back of her throat.

“I meant, we can go in our knickers,” Harry laughed heartily.

“ _Oh my god_ ,” Tegan laughed, momentarily pressing her hand over her face, feeling embarrassed about the ungodly noise that came out of her mouth.

“C’mon,” Harry said, grabbing her hand, helping her up off the edge of the hot tub.

“Where are we going?” She asked, following him as he pulled her along.

“To get towels and our champagne,” Harry told her and she let out a giggle.

As Harry went to grab towels, Tegan gulped down what was left in her glass before grabbing the entire bottle, sans glasses. When Harry came back down the stairs he eyed the lone bottle in her hand.

“I figured the less glass by the pool, the better,” she told him.

“Brilliant mind,” he said, smiling widely at her before he gulped down what was left in his glass.

“Wait!” She said quickly, realizing she needed one thing before they went in.

“Yeah?” He questioned.

“I know you don’t have long hair anymore, but I’m hoping you might still have a hair binder lying around,” she inquired, biting at her bottom lip.

“C’mon. Let’s have a look,” he said as the two of them made their way all the way up two flights of stairs to the master bedroom.

“Do you ever get sick of climbing these stairs?” Tegan grunted as she made it up the final step.

“Everyday. It’s even worse when I’ve been drinking,” he explained, smirking over at her.

“Maybe that’s what I’m feeling,” she giggled to herself as they made their way into the master bathroom.

Harry pulled open a drawer and dug around quickly. Tegan bit at her bottom lip when she saw a few condoms strewn about inside. _Oh god_. The thought of Harry and sex… _oh god_.

“Here we go,” he said, pulling out a black hair tie before closing the drawer.

“Thank you,” she said and she could feel her face flushing rapidly.

“Ready?” He asked, looking over at her.

“Ready,” she squeaked with a nod and followed him out.

As the two of them made their way outside and walked toward the hot tub, she wondered how awkward she would feel stripping down to her undergarments in front of Harry. And then she remembered how she bought her bra and panties just for tonight, just for him. Even though she never planned on showing him.

She quickly took a sip of champagne out of the bottle before she set it on the ledge of the hot tub, looking up just in time to see Harry stripping out of his white dress shirt, revealing all the tattoos she spent many nights studying from a computer screen. He smiled over at her and her stomach tied in knots. She was about to strip down into her underwear in front of Harry Styles, who would also be in his. How would she be able to control her raging libido?

“Are you going to get in?” Harry asked as he kicked off his expensive black shoes and pulled off his socks, stuffing them inside.

“Uh, could you… uh, unzip me? Please?” She asked, biting at her lip. She could do it herself, but it would take some real acrobatic skills and wouldn’t be pretty. She wanted to exude as much grace as she could when she was in his presence.

“Charmed,” he said, walking toward her as she turned her back to him, slipping her long hair over her shoulder.

Harry slowly pulled the zipper down her back and her skin tingled where he touched it. She was about to get half-naked with him and she was sure she was going to melt into a puddle right in the hot tub.

“Thank you,” she said, and the words came out much breathier than she anticipated.

“My pleasure,” he replied, and she noticed the heft in his voice when he said it.

Harry walked back to his other discarded clothing before he unzipped his slacks and pushed them down. A moment later, Tegan let the dress slip away from her body, revealing her black lace. She felt her body heat up as soon as his gaze was on her. She knew he could probably see more than a normal bra and panty set would allow, due to the fact that it was sheer lace. And that little detail caused her mind to spiral, hoping he liked what he saw.

It took her a moment to mentally prepare seeing him _live-and-in-person_ in only his underwear. And when she finally looked up, she was not disappointed. Standing in front of her, he wore the tightest black boxer briefs she’d ever thought humanly possible. _Oh dear lord._ How was she going to last the night?

“Ready?” He asked, quirking an eyebrow at her as she noticed his eyes dip down her body and come back up. _Yeah_ , she was ready. Ready to race his ass back up to his bedroom and spend the rest of the night worshipping his _fit-as-hell_ body.

“ _Mm-hmm_ ,” she hummed as she stepped forward, grabbing the bottle of champagne, taking another ten dollar sip of it. She needed a little liquid courage.

Harry was the first one in, sinking down into the water, sitting on the far end with a perfect view of every move she made. She set the bottle back down on the ledge and quickly tied her long hair up in a knot on the top of her head. She didn’t need the chlorine messing up her new highlights. When she finished, her eyes met Harry’s and he was already looking back at her, watching her, causing the butterflies in her stomach to take flight. She quickly tip-toed toward the hot tub and got in with him, sinking down to the top of her bra. When she looked back over at him, he was smiling at her.

“Could you pass the champagne?” He asked, quirking an eyebrow at her.

“ _Mm_ ,” she acknowledged, leaning back to grab it before handing it off.

She watched as he took a quick sip and handed it back to her. She took another pull before putting it on the ledge halfway between the two of them.

“You know, my publicist and my manager tried to get me to use this date as a publicity boost,” she confessed, watching him.

“Oh?” Harry asked, heightening an eyebrow.

“I told them no,” she assured him and his head nodded minutely.

“They tried to use you against me to get me to comply,” she continued.

“How so?” He asked, furrowing his brow with a look of confusion gracing his features.

“They told me you only went on _Ellen_ for publicity, to help your public image and that’s why I should,” she explained, watching how his face contorted in concern.

“I went on the show because I was a fan of you and your work,” Harry told her sincerely. Tegan stomach knotted up again in anticipation or something else altogether.

“I told them you wouldn’t do that, but they tried to convince me otherwise,” Tegan continued, ignoring his comment because she didn’t think she could put anymore thought into it without exploding, without completely fangirling on him again. She’d done enough of that already.

“And?” Harry asked, his eyes darkening as he watched her.

“I threatened to fire both of them if they ruined this date for me,” she said, unable to keep the wide smile off her face. Harry let out a boisterous laugh and it made her laugh too.

“You’d actually do that?” He asked, his smile wide on his face.

“Yes!” She admitted confidently, unable to hold back her amusement.

“Wow. You’re something else,” Harry said, chuckling to himself.

“You think I would miss out on this opportunity? I’m sitting in a hot tub with my _crush-to-end-all-crushes_ ,” she said embarrassingly, feeling the blush crawl up her face, but she hoped he couldn’t see it or recognize it because of the heat from the hot tub. When he let out a light laugh, she realized she was once again fangirling after she told herself she wouldn’t.

To help her awkwardness, she took another pull off the bottle and offered it to him to do the same. Once he did, he scooted closer to her to put it back on the ledge, but didn’t make a move to go back to his original spot.

“I kind of feel like I’m on the _Bachelor_ right now,” she said, letting her mouth run without thinking about what she was saying. Harry laughed again and she realized how stupid she sounded.

“I only mean, like this is what they do, right? Have dates in hot tubs and stuff?” She said, shrugging her shoulders.

“I’ve never watched,” Harry told her.

“Neither have I, but I’ve seen commercials,” she said, looking down as she moved her hands through the water.

For a few moments neither of them spoke, but she could feel his eyes on her as she sat there.

“You’re awfully quiet,” she said, putting the attention back on him as she looked back up into his eyes.

“ _Mm_ ,” he hummed.

“No more questions for me to answer?” She asked, quirking an eyebrow at him.

“I have one,” he told her.

“Okay,” she said, her voice coming out breathy as she felt his heavy gaze on her.

“Can I kiss you?” He asked, knocking her whole world off his axis.

All that came out was a squeak of disbelief as her mind stumble over the simplest answer: _yes, yes, yes!_

“ _Mm. Mm-hmm_ ,” she hummed, and she could feel the anticipation build inside of her as he leaned forward.

 _Holy fuck_.

Harry’s lips hovered over hers, drawing it out, making her absolutely go insane. She let out the tiniest of whimpers and he smiled, causing her insides to turn to mush. A moment later, his lips met hers and it was like her entire world exploded into fireworks.

As his lips moved against hers, she had to mental remind herself that she needed to participate or it was going to be a very short-lived kiss. Soon her lips became pliable against his and their mouths opened to each other, sliding their tongues effortlessly together. Her brain was pretty much incoherent as she slipped her hands out of the water and tangled them in the back of his hair, pulling him closer to her. She knew she would be riding this high for weeks after. It was inevitable.

As she sat there, _kissing_ _Harry Styles_ , her mind went on a tangent. Was she doing it right? Did he think she was a good kisser? What made him want to kiss her? Did he think she was a good date? Would he want to see her again?

When she felt his hand slide up her sternum between her breasts before gently gripping onto the side of her neck, she was broken out of her thoughts. She almost felt like she was having an out-of-body experience. She wanted him to touch her again and again.

When the two of them finally came up for air, Harry pressed his forehead against hers as their chest silently heaved, dragging precious air into their lungs.

“ _Oh my god_ ,” she sighed as the two of them pulled back to look at each other.

“ _Oh my god_ good or _oh my god_ bad?” Harry questioned.

“Good. Good. _So_ good,” she said enthusiastically as she bit her bottom lip.

“It _was_ good,” he agreed.

Her brain started on another tangent before she realized she needed to stop thinking of him as her idol and start thinking of him _quite differently_ …

“Would you like more?” Harry asked, offering her the champagne. She nodded, quickly grabbing for it before taking a sip. She handed it back and he drank some too.

“Getting me drunk,” she quipped, smiling over at him.

“It wasn’t my plan,” he asserted, smiling back at her.

“’s definitely happening,” she laughed, feeling like she was almost floating. But then realized she kind of was because of the water and the jets in the hot tub. She giggled to herself and he let out a laugh.

“What’s so funny?” He asked, watching her.

“Thought my mind was playing tricks on me,” she laughed.

“’bout what?” He questioned.

“Thought I was floating, then I realized I was,” she said as she let the water lift her again. Harry let out a snicker.

“I think you and the champagne have got my mind spinning,” she said with a laugh.

“Me?” He asked, feigning offense.

“Yes, _you_ ,” she said, pointing her finger playfully at him.

“Oh, yeah?” He asked, quickly swimming over to her and grabbing her in his arms. She let out a squeal as he pulled her against his body and kissed the side of her neck.

It had been a long time since she felt the touch of a man. And this was just the pinnacle of everything. This was the turning point in her life. This was a fantasy come true.

Harry’s mouth worked across her jawline before finding her lips again. Tegan was hungry for him, kissing him back with fervor as she turned in his arms, straddling across his lap as they melted into one another. She was almost like a completely different person, a carbon copy of herself. She usually didn’t let herself get so out of control. But she liked it – a little too much.

“I don’t usually do this… let myself get so… so carried away…” she confessed as she looked down into his eyes.

“Neither do I,” he admitted.

“ _Mm_ ,” she hummed, watching as his tongue darted out, licking his lips. And she couldn’t help it. She leaned down and kissed him again.

She felt his hands slip up her back, pulling her even closer to him. It was enough to cause a moan to bubble up out of her. Harry nipped at her bottom lip before his mouth kissed down her jaw again, then down her throat and across her chest. Her entire body was reacting to him, yet she still didn’t know if she would be willing to give it up on the first date. When his hand came up, pawing at her breasts as he kissed across her clavicle, her mind started to question whether or not she would be able to actually pass it up if it went further. Harry’s finger pulled down the cup of her bra, exposing her left breast moments before his mouth wrapped around the nipple, sucking it in, swirling his tongue around it.

“ _Mm_ ,” she let out a low moan as the pleasure engulfed her.

 _Holy fuck_. What if she never had the opportunity again? What if this night was just a fluke? He was leaving for New York the day after tomorrow and she didn’t know when he’d be back. What if he forgot all about her? Maybe this was how it worked in the celebrity community. Everything else moved at lightning speed. Why would sex be any different?

She could feel him below her, he was hard against her and it only turned her on even more. But moments later she realized she just _couldn’t_. She wasn’t ready to have sex on the first date. Call it a crisis of conscience or whatever. But she didn’t want to be one of those people who let their hormones guide them without thinking. She would _never_ be that person, because she knew she was constantly over-thinking everything. And she also knew that giving it up to Harry Styles on the first date, as fun and amazing as it would be, would probably not bode well in getting her a second date.

“I cannot believe I’m about to say this, but… I think we should maybe slow down…” she said, still holding his face in her hands, her eyes shut tightly. She knew she was giving a lot up and it killed a little piece of her soul.

“Oh, okay,” Harry said quietly.

“I’m sorry,” she whimpered as she pulled back, sitting down on his thighs and it caused him to groan as she rubbed up against him.

“ _I’m sorry_ ,” she squeaked, scrambling off of his lap as she quickly slipped the cup of her bra back over her exposed breast.

“No, no. It’s okay,” he assured her, looking at her with a small smile.

“I’m sorry. It’s just that… we just met… and although I’ve watched you from afar for a long time… it’s just that… we’re just getting to know each other and… and I don’t do this sort of thing… not on the first date… even with someone as _unbelievable_ as you,” she rambled, feeling the hot blush on her face.

She was probably the stupidest woman in the world. How could she turn down _Harry freaking Styles?_

“Tegan, it’s okay. I promise,” he told her again with a light chuckle.

“Really?” She asked, looking over at him. She probably sounded like the most inexperienced person in the world.

“Yes. I _promise_ ,” he insisted and she nodded her head.

“I think I might need to take a dip in the pool though,” Harry said, clearing his throat as she noticed him adjust himself in the water.

“Oh my god. _I’m sorry_ ,” she apologized, just realizing how awful it was of her to get him so turned-on and then just leave him hanging.

“’s okay,” he said, letting out a laugh as he turned away from her, slipping out of the hot tub.

Tegan bit her lip and told herself not to look, but couldn’t seem to pry her eyes away. Harry walked toward the pool with his hand on his obvious hard-on, jumping into it to give himself a metaphorical _cold shower_. She felt bad, but she also couldn’t help but let out a squeal just before he came up to the surface for air. _She_ gave him a hard-on. That was something that _she_ did. He was attracted to _her_ and _oh god_ , she was _so_ attracted to him.

“Feels quite nice in here,” Harry called over.

“Oh, does it?” She asked as she stood up in the hot tub, looking over the edge at him.

“I does. Care to join me?”

“And get my hair wet?” She laughed, quirking an eyebrow at him.

“Oh, come on,” he chided her.

“Hmm,” she huffed, tapping her finger on her chin before a smile turned up her lips. She didn’t need to dive in. She could slowly walk in and hope he didn’t splash her or something.

“ _Teeee-gaaaan_ ,” Harry whined as he treaded water in the deep end of the pool.

“Alright, alright,” she said as she carefully slipped out of the hot tub, grabbing the bottle of champagne.

The night felt cool on her skin after being in the hot tub. Goosebumps formed on her flesh as she took another large pull from the bottle – the now nearly empty bottle. A moment later she looked back down at him and he was staring up at her.

“Have I mentioned how utterly mouth-watering you look in your knickers?” Harry asked as she walked toward him. Tegan let out a choked gasp as she stopped just shy of the edge of the pool. Her insides were jelly.

“You need to _warn_ me when you’re going to say stuff like that,” she said, holding her hand over her heart as she let out a laugh.

Harry’s smile widened as he swam toward the edge where she stood.

“Even better the closer I get,” he flirted.

“ _Shut up_ ,” she hissed, biting back a massive smile as her face continued to blush.

“I’m only speaking the absolute truth,” Harry told her and she almost squealed again as he looked at her like he wanted to see her naked.

She registered the lust in his eyes as plain as day and wondered if the coolness of the pool was helping his _situation_ any. She didn’t know how she’d handle herself if she got into a pool with a very turned-on Harry Styles in it.

“Come on, you,” Harry said, reaching up and wrapping his hand around one of her ankles, acting like he was going to pull her in.

“ _Harry!”_ She shrieked and he let go before letting out a bellow of a laugh.

“Don’t _do_ that,” she whined, leaning her foot in to splash water in his face, which made him laugh even more.

“Well, _get in_ already,” he laughed.

“I think I’m gonna take my time,” she said stubbornly as she walked toward the stairs to get into the pool.

“ _Ooh_ , I knew you would be ornery,” Harry laughed as he swam toward her. Tegan immediately let out a playful scoff, stopping in her tracks to look back at him. He let out another wild laugh in response.

“If you’re going to tease me…” She huffed, quirking an eyebrow at him.

“No, no, no. Come on, love. Get in the pool,” he coaxed. She rolled her eyes, but couldn’t hold back her smile.

“I think I’m going to need to finish off this bottle first,” she said, shaking it in her hand.

“By all means,” he said as he stood up in the pool, the water up to his waist. She watched as the water beaded on his skin and dripped down his body. It was enough to drive her hormones wild.

She quickly brought the bottle to her lips and drained it into her mouth – probably twenty dollars-worth if she had to guess. And then the bottle was empty.

“Finished,” she said, shaking it in her hands again as the two of them smiled at each other.

“You’ve probably drank over a thousand dollars in wine tonight,” he said, smiling up at her as she set the bottle down on the ground next to the pool.

“ _Nuh-uh_ ,” she said in disbelief.

“That red cost even more than the champagne. ‘bout twelve-hundred dollars,” he pointed out.

“ _Oh my god_ , Harry,” she coughed and he let out a laugh.

“I’m not worth that much!” She laughed.

“Yes, you are,” Harry said, smiling up at her as he ran his fingers through his wet hair.

She bit down on her lip _hard_ as she watched him.

“Have _I_ mentioned how mouth-watering your bare chest is?” Tegan asked, turning his words on him, realizing how forward she was being a little too late. They’d already worked each other up in a frenzy in the hot tub. Why must she torture both of them?

“Now, see. Why do you get to say things like that and I can’t?” He asked with a mischievous smirk.

“Dunno,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. He smiled at her and shook his head.

“Why are you not in the pool yet?” He asked, cocking his eyebrow at her and she let out a laugh.

“Is it cold?” She asked.

“Warm enough,” he said, his voice husky and his eyes watchful. She bit back a smile as she dipped her feet in, trying hard not to react to the coolness of the water.

“ _Mm_ ,” she breathed as she walked further in.

“You okay?” Harry chuckled, watching her.

“It’s freezing,” she giggled, looking up at him.

“C’mere. I’ll warm you,” he said, pulling her toward him.

“Harry!” She yelped and then laughed when he buried his face in her neck.

“We can still kiss, can’t we?” He asked her, pulling back to look her in the eyes.

“ _Mm_ ,” she hummed.

Nothing would bring her more pleasure… well, that evening anyway. She thought of a lot of things that would _definitely_ bring her more pleasure and they all had to do with Harry.

“Yeah?” He questioned.

“As long as, like… you don’t think I’m leading you on or something…” She said apprehensively, biting at her lip.

“No,” Harry maintained, his eyebrows furrowing in concern.

“Cause, I mean… you’re _gorgeous_. You know I think you’re gorgeous. And like, _ugh_. What I wouldn’t _give_ —” She groaned thinking about sleeping with him, but cut herself off when she realized her mouth was running wild again.

“What you wouldn’t give to what?” Harry asked, smiling mischievously at her.

“What?” She questioned, playing dumb on purpose as she smirked back at him. She did _not_ want to elaborate.

“What you wouldn’t give to what?” He asked again as he poked at her side, causing her to let out a squeal.

“Harry,” she whined.

“Tell me,” he goaded.

“Shut up,” she hissed, laughing as he poked her side again.

“ _Stop_ …” She laughed, swiping his hand away.

Harry’s arms wrapped around her again, pulling her flush against his body as he swam them out deeper, just deep enough where he could still touch the bottom.

“I don’t expect anything, Tegan,” he assured her, looking incredibly sincere.

“I already gave you blue balls once tonight,” she pointed out, causing Harry to tip his head back and laugh loudly. She couldn’t help but smile at his reaction.

“I’ll survive,” he concluded, smiling widely as he looked back in her eyes.

“You’re gonna get my hair wet…” Tegan said a moment later, looking into his eyes. Harry let out a loud laugh, shaking his head at her.

“We can get out of the pool,” he chuckled, bringing them closer to the shallow end before the two of them walked toward the stairs.

“ _Brrr_ ,” Tegan shivered as she took the stairs up.

“You know I’ve never actually seen black lace look so good on someone,” Harry said as he followed her out of the pool.

“ _Shut up_ ,” she groaned, feeling utterly taken aback by more of his high praise.

“You really need to learn how to take a compliment, because I don’t plan on stopping,” Harry forewarned, grabbing onto her wrist, only to pull her back into his arms once they were standing on the pool deck.

“It’s just hard to believe they’re coming out of _your_ mouth,” she told him honestly.

“You’re beautiful. You’re gorgeous. You’re sexy…” Harry went on to say.

“ _Harry_ ,” she whined, squirming in his arms.

“But the best thing is you’re all those things inside as well as out,” Harry told her, his voice dropping low as he looked contently into her eyes.

“Harry,” she whispered.

“You don’t have to leave do you? Like, you can stay a while?” Harry asked her, heightening his eyebrow.

“Uh, yeah. I’m… I’m open,” she told him, feeling her cheeks flush. He _wanted_ to spend time with her. It honestly meant everything to her.

“Good,” he said as he leaned in kissing her lips again.

“Whaddya wanna do?” She asked curiously, quirking an eyebrow.

“ _Mm_. Maybe we could watch something on the telly together,” he suggested. The _telly_ … oh, she loved hearing him speak.

“Okay. But I honestly don’t want to get back into that dress and I’m not staying in this,” she said, snapping her bra strap against her skin.

“Naked it is,” Harry quipped, quirking his eyebrow at her suggestively.

“No! _Oh my god_ ,” she laughed, hiding her face with her hand for a moment.

“C’mon. I’ll get you something to wear,” Harry said as he took her hand and lead her back into the house.

The air conditioning nearly chilled her to the bone as they walked in.

“We forgot the towels,” she told him, shivering as he walked her through the house to the stairs, the two of them leaving tiny little puddles wherever they stepped.

“I’ve got more upstairs,” Harry replied, smiling back at her, never letting her hand loose from his.

“Next time we go up these stairs, you’re carrying me,” Tegan joked and Harry stopped in his tracks to look back at her with another suggestive look.

She suddenly realized just about everything that seemed to come out of her mouth could be construed as dirty. And maybe it was because she had a perfect view of Harry’s ass or because the two of them spent quite a while making out or maybe it was the fact that she had the pleasure of turning him on. She didn’t know. But it was one Freudian slip after another and she couldn’t seem to stop.

“C’mere,” Harry said, gripping his hands underneath her bottom.

“Harry!” She shrieked, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck.

“Jump up,” he coaxed her.

“Are you kidding?” She asked him, looking into her eyes.

“No. It’ll give me proper reason to grab your bum,” he quipped, smirking at her.

“ _Oh my god_ ,” she mumbled as she jumped up into his awaiting hands and he pulled her up against his body, walking them the rest of the way up the stairs.

“This is ridiculous,” Tegan laughed as Harry masterfully turned on the bedroom light with his elbow.

She was more than a little surprised when Harry tossed her onto his bed and slithered up her body, kissing her quickly.

“ _Oh my god_ , Harry,” she breathed as his kisses trailed down her jaw and then to her neck.

“ _Mm_ ,” he breathed against her flesh. He was making it so hard to say no to him.

“You’re so… _mm_ , amazing,” he sighed as he pulled up, looking down at her sprawled across his bed.

“Not nearly as amazing as you, Mr. Styles,” she hummed, looking up at him hovered above her.

She was in his bed and it would just be so easy to take that next step. _Oh god_. She wanted to. She really did. But she had enough sense left in her to know they shouldn’t.

“So… clothes?” She questioned, biting at her lip as she looked up at him.

“Yes,” he said, clearing his throat as he pulled himself up further, kneeling between her sprawled legs.

“Although, I still think naked is better,” he joked with a playful smirk as he ran his hands up and down her bare thighs.

“We practically already are,” she retorted and his eyebrows heightened in amusement.

“I mean… _oh my god_. I didn’t mean it like that. I meant… _god_ , never mind,” she groaned, holding her hand over her face as her cheeks blushed wildly. _Another_ Freudian slip. Harry let out a blithe laugh and she couldn’t help but giggle. She felt so stupid.

“ _Ugh_. You’re advances are making me all discombobulated,” she laughed, sitting up on her elbows as he dropped his feet down on the floor, smiling widely down at her.

She honestly had a perfect view of the outline of his cock in his underwear and it took all she had not to give it more than a passing glance because she knew he was watching her.

“Clothes,” Harry breathed and she couldn’t help but notice how husky it sounded falling from his mouth.

“ _Mm_ ,” she hummed, looking up at him as he reached out for her hands, pulling her up flush against him.

He left a quick kiss on her lips before he retreated from her arms and ambled toward the massive walk-in closet connected to the room. Tegan followed him and noticed there weren’t a lot of clothes hanging in there. For the most part it was empty and it caused a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. It only made her realize that California was just a pit-stop in his life. He’d be gone to New York in a matter of days and then who knows where. Maybe back to London? She had no idea when she’d see him again – _if_ she’d see him again.

“What’s the matter?” Harry asked as he noticed the somber look on her face.

“Your closets very… _empty_ ,” she said quietly.

“I travel light,” he told her and it made her stomach twist uncomfortably.

“Do you come here often?” She asked, trying not to sound too desperate.

“I try to,” he told her. _What did that mean?_

“ _Mm_ ,” she hummed, nodding her head.

“T-shirt…” Harry said, pulling a white v-neck off a hanger before handing it to her.

“And shorts,” he said, handing her a pair of running shorts.

“I am going to drown in these,” she said, looking at the grey shorts as she stretched out the elastic waistband.

“These?” He questioned, holding up a pair of black _Calvin Klein_ boxer briefs. Tegan couldn’t help the dark grin that formed on her face as she grabbed the underwear and handed the shorts back to him. He smiled back at her and bounced an eyebrow.

“You can change in here or in the loo,” he told her. She bit her lip and nodded her head as she walked out of the closet and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

She had to take a deep breath to calm herself down. She went from happy-go-lucky to incredibly melancholy at the thought of Harry not coming back to California for a while. She was pathetic. She took another deep breath and let it out hard before shaking out her limbs. He liked her – that much she knew. Harry Styles liked _her_ and he was right there with her. She knew she needed to keep that in mind instead of thinking about missing him while he was gone.

Tegan stepped up to the large mirror over the countertop and checked herself out in the mirror. Her hair was a mess on top of her head, so she quickly pulled it out and fixed it into a more appealing ponytail. She quickly wiped her fingers across the bottom of her eyes to remove any unwanted makeup, but she seemed to be good on that front. It all still seemed to be intact. Tegan’s eyes wandered down her body, realizing just how see-through the bra was on her in the bright light of the bathroom. Her nipples were ever-present and she couldn’t help the flush that worked up her body as she realized it. She was just glad it was dimly lit while they were outside in the hot tub and pool.

She quickly unhooked the bra from behind her back and let it slip off her shoulders and down her arm. There were imprints of the seams on her skin, making it look like she was wearing another see-through bra. She slipped off the panties next and let them drop to the floor before she opened up one of the cabinets underneath the vanity, finding a big fluffy white towel.

As she pulled it against her skin, she nearly moaned because of how soft it was. It was like a cloud. But as she relished in it, her mind reminded her she needed to get dressed because she didn’t want Harry to think she was snooping through his things. And then she thought about the condoms that were housed in the drawer next to the sink and her brain went on another sexual tangent about him. _Dear Lord_. She needed to pull herself together.

She quickly dried herself before sliding up Harry’s underwear, snapping the waistband against her skin. They fit her reasonably well and she realized her and Harry’s waists probably weren’t that far off. She slipped the t-shirt over her head and knotted it at the side, which pulled it tight against her chest, causing her nipples to protrude out of the fabric.

“No,” she whispered to herself as she undid the knot and smoothed out the fabric before tucking just a bit of the front into the underwear.

She seemed satisfied with how she looked, so she grabbed her wet undergarments and laid them across the edge of his bathtub to dry. Before she left the bathroom, she grabbed the towel and brought it with her.

“Hope you don’t mind. I used one of your towels,” she stated as she walked out to find him sitting on his bed waiting for her, wearing the grey shorts be previously offered her and a standard white t-shirt.

“By all means,” he said with a smile as he stood up.

“It’s so soft,” she cooed, rubbing it up against her face.

“Don’t think I’ve actually used these before,” he said, coming to feel the towel and she let him take it.

“It’s amazing,” she breathed, watching as he pulled it up, drying his hair with it.

It seemed so intimate to her, him using a towel she just used. Her heart thumped hard against her chest, imagining a future with him that she had no business imagining. But he just made it so easy.

“ _Mm_ ,” he said, rubbing the towel against his cheek before he tossed it onto his bed.

“You look good in my knickers…” He noted, looking down at her body.

“I bet you look better in them,” she countered and bit back a smile because of how forward she sounded.

“I bet we’d both look better out of them,” he retorted and it made her scoff out a laugh as she quickly turned away so he didn’t see how wide she was smiling.

“ _Oh my god_ ,” she laughed and she could hear him chuckling too.

“I’m quite forward when I’ve been drinking. I apologize,” Harry snickered.

“I’ve noticed,” she laughed, looking back at him.

“Oh, what about you? Practically _begging_ me to carry you to my bedroom,” He quipped, poking fun at her.

“That’s not what I meant!” She laughed out loud.

“’Oh, Harry. Carry me to bed’,” he spouted, feigning a girl voice.

“I did _not_ say that! You brat!” She laughed as she pushed against his chest and he gripped onto her wrists.

Harry’s laugh was entertaining to her and she gradually stopped fighting against him and just listened to it as it slowly died off. He looked down at her and quietly dropped her wrists before wrapping his arms around her again.

“Wanna watch something on the telly with me?” He asked, looking down in her eyes.

“ _Mm-hmm_ ,” she breathed, looking up at him.

“Okay,” he said, quietly leaning in to meet their lips. The two of them stood there for a moment kissing before Harry pulled back.

“Gonna get carried away again,” he breathed.

“ _Mm_ ,” she hummed, her eyes still closed from the kiss.

Harry sweetly leaned in kissing each of her eyelids before he pulled back, freeing her from his arms. She was nearly paralyzed by the sweet gesture and it took her a moment to find her bearings again.

“C’mon,” Harry told her, gripping onto her hand again.

He pulled her out of the bedroom, flipping off the light in the process.

“Want me to carry you down?” He quipped, smirking wildly at her.

“No,” she laughed, shaking her head.

“You sure?” He questioned.

“I’m sure,” she giggled.

“Alright. C’mon,” he said as she followed him down the stairs to watch the _telly_ with him, a wide smile on her face.


End file.
